


Fairy Tail Redux

by orphan_account



Series: Fairy Tail Redux [1]
Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: ALRIGHT KIDDIES THIS IS FAIRY TAIL REDUX, Fairy Tail Redux, Family, Friendship, Gen, I hope, I hope you guys enjoy it!, I promise the OC isn't horrible- at least, Kudos if you try it even with the OC!, No pairings - Freeform, OC alert, Other, This is Fairy Tail... but my way, soooo
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-03
Updated: 2018-03-04
Packaged: 2019-03-26 08:14:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 14,264
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13853661
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: WARNING: Important to plot OC, plus side plot OCs.If you don't like OCs, then don't click this story.If you're brave enough to give it a try, kudos to you!No Ships. Also- everyone is a family and best friends, capiche?Okay, good. Onto the short Summary!Sum: This is basically just my version of Fairy Tail... but... y'know.My way.Plot changes galore, so click if you dare!





	1. Episode One: The Fairy Tail

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hello friends and companions, and welcome to my first Fairy Tail fanfiction! Now, I know what you're thinking. Fairy Tail? Really? And there's an actual important to plot OC?! What are you thinking, ATD?! And believe me, I know. This probably isn't the best idea, but this OC and her story snuck up on me while I wasn't looking, and snatched me up by the tips of my love for Loke. So yea, I promise (and by promise, I mean hope to all gods above) that she isn't a Mary-Sue or anything, but yes. She is an important story character and will pop up most of the time. Don't click off yet though! I swear to you, I'll try to make her an interesting character that adds more to the Fairy Tail Redux experience instead of taking it away. Not only that, but she won't be a full main character- think of her like Loke. There, in backgrounds, maybe some gag scenes- an arc to introduce her, and such. She's an important character, but not important enough to have in every single scene of each and every arc- because honestly, that's just brutally painful, even to me, her creator. So sit back, relax, and maybe enjoy some of my personal fix-it attempts at the episodic series that is Fairy Tail- plus some self-indulgent add-on characters.

**_ Episode One: The Fairy Tail _ **

_ Location: Hargeon _

* * *

 

The port town of Hargeon, where the sea breeze is always billowing and the sun shines bright even on a rainy day, a perfect place to relax, even when a certain pink haired boy turning green was ruining the salty tang of the air.

"Natsu, Natsu get up!" a blue cat swiped at his face, eyes narrowing with concentration. "If our information is correct, that means Igneel could be in this very town!"

The boy, Natsu, rolled his eyes as he stood. "Right- urf... Happy, couldn't we have just walked here? I'm never riding a train ever...blegh... again..." He put a hand to his mouth and gagged. The aforementioned cat sent him a deadpan glare.

"Natsu... if we wait too long, who knows where Igneel could go! 'The Salamander' is supposed to come here today, after all!" The cat stepped outside the train and raised a paw to his eyes to block the relentless sun. "Let's see... if I were a big, scary dragon, where would I be...?"

Natsu groaned from his spot just outside the train entrance and scowled at Happy. He really should have just walked... so what if it took a few more days then it would have? At least then he wouldn't be suffering the consequences of the moving vehicle. "Ne, Happy, are you sure Igneel will be here?" he inquired. Narrowing his eyes, he scanned the skies above the houses to spot any fire or smoke, obviously finding none if no people screaming were any indication.

Happy paused for a moment, head tilting. "Maybe not... but it's still worth a shot, right?" the feline grinned and jumped up and down, making Natsu laugh.

"Hah, you got it, bud!"

* * *

 

"Whaddya mean this is the only magic shop in town?!" Hands slammed onto the counter that blocked the way of customer and seller, brown eyes glaring deeply at them.

"Just what I said, miss. This is more a fishing town than a magic town- barely a third of the population uses magic." The shopkeeper tilted his head, eyeing the blonde woman in front of him. "Still, we have various items that are useful for small activities- such as this Colours machine! Changing the colour of your clothes depending on your mood!" It was demonstrated with a flourish of a small Magic Symbol accompanying the pink device, and changing the shopkeep's clothing colour. "See? Now, wouldn't a fashionable girl like yourself want one of these, hmm?" He pushed the device closer to the blonde, whom merely shook her head in disappointment.

"No, I've already gotten one... what I'm looking for are Celestial Spirit Keys." she looked around the shop rather fruitlessly, frowning as she came up empty.

"Mou... I was hoping I could find one here... guess it was too much to ask for." The girl, Lucy Heartfilia, looked up as the shopkeeper tilted his head.

"Eh? What is it?" He dug up something from behind the counter and held up a box. "I used to have two Keys in stock- but that was almost four years ago. Now, I only have this one... a sweetheart, mind you, but not very popular for travelling wizards." Lucy peered in the box curiously, her eyes widening as she recognized the Key almost immediately. "Oh- The Canis Minor, Nikora- I've been looking everywhere for that one!" She barely held in a squeal as she snatched the key. "How much for it?!"

The shopkeeper snickered and raised up two fingers. "Twenty-thousand Jewels."

There was an intangible silence in the shop, each figure resolute in their motion. "I'm sorry, did you say...?" She levelled a glare at the old man, who laughed rather loudly.

"Just kidding! I know that it's rather popular with Celestial Mages such as yourself, but even I know not to raise prices so high. If you would be so kind, it will only be twelve-thousand Jewels." The shopkeeper grinned as she let out a sigh of relief and paid the price, gripping the key happily. She turned to leave, but paused for a second, a thought coming to her mind.

"Ne... when you say you had a second key... which one was it?" The shopkeeper narrowed his eyes slightly and frowned, hands kneading the counter.

"It was a rather powerful Silver Key from rumours I've heard- a spirit that could rival a Zodiac." Lucy felt her eyes widen as she turned fully, enraptured by the tale.

"But that's..."

The shopkeep nodded.

"Correct. I believe the Key I had was the famous Corona Borealis- 'The Northern Crown'. We may not be a magic town, but even I remember the shock to find that no one had seen the Key and Spirit herself since a battle she had while summoned by her Owner, nearly four years folded his arms, eyes downcast.

"I regret not keeping tabs on the Key itself, but it's no use crying over spilt milk, after all. Go on and enjoy your Canis Minor, miss. Perhaps you'll be the one to find the missing Spirit, haha!" Lucy nodded slowly and thanked him for the tale, before exiting out onto the street.

Corona Borealis... right. One of the biggest controversies of all time, regarding Celestial Mages and Spirits. Some say that the Celestial Mage that had her kept her to themselves for all these years, just to hoard the powerful Silver Key, but others say that no- it was the Celestial World itself that broke her Key to keep her away from them all... while others say that she merely was taken down- permanently- by the Zodiacs. Personally, she believed that it just was locked away somewhere. A place where no one could remember, and her Key left untouched for years, but what did she know? The chances of her finding the infamous Silver Key was slim to none anyways.

Before she could think to start to leave the town, a pair of girls ran past without a glance, giggling about a "Salamander". Lucy's eyes widened as she registered the name, and flushed slightly. _Salamander? As in, the Mage that can do fire magic without the use of items?! Now, this I've got to see!_

She took no hesitation in running to where the other pair of girls went and stopped when she reached the bulk of the crowd. Huh... wonder where he is...? She gasped when a cloud of smoke covered the middle area, and a blue haired man stepped out. His eyes gleamed arrogance as he smiled at the crowd. "Welcome welcome, one and all! I'm glad that you came to meet the fabulous me, the Salamander!" his grin seemed to brighten as the cheers grew louder, Lucy blinking by the intensity. This guy's the... Salamander? Yeesh... I would have thought he would be a bit less arrogant, and a lot more... well, cool. And don't get me started on those tacky rings of hi- ...wait. her eyes narrowed as she looked closer at the rings on his hand. Are those...?

"IGNEEEEEEL!" she yelped out in surprise when a pink-haired boy pushed through the crowd, calling out for an... Igneel, it sounded like? "S'cuse me, but have you seen a Dragon around here? His name's Igneel, and we heard people screaming about a Salamander-" he was cut off by the Salamander glowering at him. "I am the Salamander, boy. Don't you recognize me?" he blinked as the pink haired boy snorted. "Th'names Natsu, and no, I don't know you. Yeesh, you call yourself a Salamander...? You don't look a thing like a Dragon- ACK!" Natsu didn't get to finish his sentence, however, as he was attacked by many of the fangirls, each exclaiming that he say sorry to the Salamander. Lucy slapped her forehead and groaned. "Of course it's a nutjob... with a charm ring, to boot." she turned to leave but froze as she heard the man yell "come to my boat party tonight!" and flew away on a carpet not long after.

She sighed. Turning around once more, she caught sight of the Natsu boy being trampled on one last time, before the fangirls left. The boy sat up with an irritated look and muttered something, and... gosh dang her bleeding heart. "Hey, you, er... Natsu, right?" Natsu blinked and turned to her, pointing at himself. "Me?" she couldn't help but giggle and nod, before gesturing at a restaurant behind her. "Want to get something to eat? I'm sure that being trampled on isn't fun, and I know I would appreciate someone treating me to food when I have a bad day." she smiled and held out her hand to Natsu, who beamed and took her hand to stand up. "Free food? I'm in!"

* * *

 

"Wait, so you're a Mage?" Natsu looked at her curiously from across the dining table, swallowing some water. Lucy nodded, a happy look crossing her features. "Yup! I'm a Celestial Mage- we summon Spirits to aid us in battle!" she took out her ring of Keys from a side bag attached to her hip to show off. "See? I have a pretty awesome set of Keys- so I'm a pretty formidable Mage in my own right!" her smile faltered a bit though, reattaching the keys to their holster. "But... I don't have a guild." she twirled a strand of hair and wistfully glanced out the window, not noticing the glance that Happy and Natsu gave each other. "Anyways, I should get going. Doesn't make much sense for me to ramble on about wanting to join a guild, right?" with a wave of her hand, she dropped a few bills and gave a smile to Natsu and Happy before leaving. As she turned back, however...

"We're in your debt!"

"Thank you so much for feeding us!"

She shrieked and started waving her hands out in horror, "n-no, don't kneel like that- it was all my treat, honest!" she paused when they both stood, determined. "Let us repay you somehow- uh, if you're still in town later, maybe we'll see you again?" Natsu pointed out hopefully to her. She smiled a bit before shaking her head. "I told you, this is all a treat on me. You don't have to repay me anything, okay?" the boy and cat exchanged another glance, looking morose. "But..." she pointed a finger at them and snorted. "No buts! Have a good day you two, okay?" she turned and walked out the door finally, breathing a sigh as she did. _Honestly... they seem like good people though. It was nice_. She smiled to herself.

It took barely a step into the local park before a hand shot out to tap her shoulder, jolting her out of her thoughts. "Y-You!"

The familiar man wearing a blue cloak, the Salamander, merely chuckled as he dipped his head. "Beautiful lady, you're so cruel... I couldn't help but notice your... resistance to me." A dazzling smile shot her way, causing her to snort in disgust. "Right. And I'm sure that if anyone else knew, they wouldn't either. You're not exactly discreet about the Charm Ring on your finger, Mr. Salamander." Her hand flicked carelessly at the pink ring on Salamander's pointer finger, missing the way his eyes narrowed slightly. "No, I suppose not... However, I believe this is time for a favour."

She gasped when Salamander leaned in towards her ear, nearly touching it with his lips. "Come to my boat party tonight. You want to be part of a guild... correct? Then let's make a deal." he offered her a paper, looking freshly printed. "Surely you've heard of Fairy Tail."

_F...Fairy Tail?! You mean the famous guild that wreaks havoc everywhere it goes...? Her mouth fell open. This was her chance! But..._

"But... how...?"

He smirked. "Does the name, 'The Salamander of Fairy Tail' not ring a bell?"

She could only nod once in apprehension before Salamander grinned and shot out a hand. "Fabulous! Then we have a deal then- go to my boat party tonight, and promise not to tell anyone about my charm spell..." he winked before disappearing with a flourish of a Magic Symbol and leaving her in the dust. As the dust settled, she smacked a hand to her forehead and groaned. _Of course... ah well. At least I get to wear a dress._

* * *

 

"Ne ne, Natsu!"

Natsu blinked, shedding his previous thoughts from his mind before he turned to Happy, curious. "Yea, what is it?"

The cat gestured at the ship sailing just out of port in the distance and looked up at him curiously. "Isn't that boat where that Salamander guy is holding his party?"

Natsu nodded slowly, barely suppressing the urge to barf- though was cut off by a passing group of girls who seemed to be talking about Fairy Tail's Salamander holding a party on said boat- wait. What?

"Natsu!"

"Yea, I know." His hand travelled to his right arm that was covered by a jacket, and let a tense silence occur... until he looked at Happy with a sinister grin. "Hey Happy..."

"Aye?"

"...Wanna go crash a boat party?"

* * *

 

Both of them exchanged looks of pure glee before taking off toward the port with barely a second to lose.

"Well, isn't this a treat!"

Lucy narrowed her eyes as she sat across from Salamander, crossing her legs. Alright, so it wasn't the nicest dress in town, but it at least somewhat complimented her figure... she sighed. "Right. And you'll get me into Fairy Tail, right?" she gestured to the paper on the table between them, tilting her head.

"Of course! Why don't you have a drink, then? Then we can talk." he waved a hand at the cup of orange juice in front of her, making her pause. Another sigh escaped her as she reached to drink the juice... before immediately splashing it in his face. "Do you think I'm stupid?" Her voice came low as Salamander wiped the sticky substance off of his body, frowning deeply.

"You enchanted my drink with that Sleep Ring. Don't take me for an idiot, Mr. Salamander." She stood and huffed, crossing her arms. "I am a rather powerful Mage in my own right- and your silly tricks won't work on me."

She stood in silence and waited to gauge his reaction... eyes widening when he started to laugh. "Hahaha! You're quite a tough one, aren't you?!" He snickered easily- just as the curtains around them were pushed open rather forcefully, displaying a throng of men with women in their arms, each sleeping soundly like nothing else mattered in the world. Lucy's mouth dropped open as she spotted them all, eyes dilating as she finally registered the situation. "You... you drugged them all? For what?!" She spun around and snarled at Salamander, who kept chuckling.

"Our merchandise, of course." He gestured to the sleeping girls around him, and sighed dramatically. "Of course, I was hoping to do this without conflict... seems that it's too good to be true now." He snapped his fingers and sat on the chair behind him, just as the grunts started to corner in on Lucy.

"This... can't be good." She looked around desperately for any escape routes, coming up empty. _Alright Lucy, think! What do you have on you right now?_ She backed away from the men and glanced about, feeling for her Keys at her hips. _Maybe I could-! Wait, no... that wouldn't work. Taurus would just sink the boat- Aquarius might help, but I doubt she would be kind to everyone on board and just throw a tsunami at us until we reached the port... Maybe Cancer? No, wait, he said he had a haircut appointment today- ugh, why now?!_

A squeak wrenched itself from her throat as she dodged a would-be attacker, when the roof above them splintered into a million pieces with a figure dropping in, one strangely familiar... Wait, was that-?! "Natsu?!"

The aforementioned boy turned to her with a grin and thumbs up, before throwing a hand to his mouth and gagging rather violently, letting her sweatdrop. "Ah... are you okay?" She patted his back in an attempt to help him, before being interrupted.

"Lucy- what are you doing here?" Happy's familiar voice called from above, causing her to gasp. "H-Happy?! What...?" She blinked as he swooped down and grabbed her with his tail, flying out through the very hole he dropped Natsu through.

"Wait, what about Natsu?!"

"Don't worry about him! He might have severe motion sickness, but he can get over it when it gets down to it (I hope)!"

Lucy squirmed a bit more before finally giving up on trying to be let go of, though just noticing that she would rather not be dropped into the sea. "Are you sure? Should we try to help him-?"

"Prominence Whip!"

Lucy's eyes widened as purple strings of magic shot itself at her and Happy, Happy trying valiantly to dodge them all- barely missing. "Happy, hang in there- Eek!" Happy winced apologetically as his wings seemed to disappear, dropping them soundly into the ocean, both of them screaming."Happyyy!"

It took a moment, she took a big breath of air as the ocean crashed into her- almost knocking all of the air from her lungs from the impact. A few shakes of her head cleared it, however, and she forced her legs to move up towards the surface of the water, dragging up the almost unconscious cat with her. Just reaching the surface nearly had her wanting to release the air in her lungs, but a final surge got her through it in time. "Hah... hah..."

Looking around, she spotted the blue cat floating belly up- breathing, thankfully. "Urgh... okay, looks like I have no choice now." she took her now wet Keys from her hip and grabbed one of them, thrusting it to the sky with a force. "Open...!" The Key in her hand shone a golden light from it, as a Magic Symbol shot from it.

"Gate of the Water Bearer... Aquarius!"

She slammed the key into the water, twisting it to hear the lock click open- and a surge of water nearly sent her under once more. From the twister of water, a blue maiden appeared- a fish tail instead of legs, and long flowing blue hair. She carried an urn, decorated with blue hues and the like. She breathed a sigh of relief, frowning lightly.

"Aquarius, I know that you hate to be interrupted... but could I please request you to sweep that boat straight back to port?" She flinched as the Mermaid sent a glare at her, but opted to merely give a long, heaving sigh.

"Annoying child... you should be glad that you remembered your manners this time." Aquarius strengthened her grip on the urn and raised it high above her head- before twisting it around as the water inside it came bursting out in a huge wave, speeding both Lucy, Happy, and the ship back to port... though quite unpleasantly.

"AAAHHHHH!" Her shriek echoed all the way to shore until the wave silenced itself and Lucy coughed to release the excess water from her lungs. "Mou..."

Aquarius snickered, before sending a pointed glare at the blonde. "Hear this, Annoying child. Don't call me for a week. I am going to be out on a relaxing, week vacation... with my boyfriend. Got that?" She snarled lowly, making Lucy squeak. "H-Hai!"

With a short nod, the Spirit flickered from the human world, back to her own.

Lucy sighed and swiped a hand across her face... just as she noticed Natsu facing the still-awake grunts, and Salamander. "Wh- oh Gods, Natsu!" She stood up immediately, but Happy stopped her with a hand to her ankle.

"Don't worry, Lucy. We probably should have mentioned this earlier, but... Natsu is a Mage too!" Happy smirked as Lucy's jaw dropped comically, as Natsu walked forward towards Salamander.

"So you're a Fairy Tail mage, huh...?" His eyes narrowed as Salamander scoffed easily.

"Yea, so what?"

"Nothing... just that I haven't seen you before ever in my life." Natsu grabbed his coat and ripped it off, displaying the very obvious Guild Symbol on his right shoulder- for everyone to see. "I'm Natsu- Natsu of Fairy Tail! And I can say that I've never seen the likes of you ever even enter my Guild!"

Lucy watched in awe as Natsu proudly declared his Guild, a hand covering her mouth. "He's... part of Fairy Tail...?" She stopped short when Happy gave a noise of agreement, before looking at Salamander. "That's Bora. Bora the Prominence. He was kicked out of the Titan Nose Guild years ago." Happy crossed his paws and huffed. "It's no surprise he's gone this far, though. He never was a good Mage."

Lucy could only nod in awe as Natsu started to beat up the other grunts, each trying and failing to stop him from reaching Salama- er, Bora.

"Oi." Bora shivered as Natsu leaned in close, a dark glare on his face. "I don't care whether you're good, or bad. But when you insult Fairy Tail like that... that's where I draw the line." His fist started to release an orange blaze, covering his fist but with no harm- Bora was very clearly terrified of the man in front of him. "Fire Dragon's... Iron Fist!"

One, solid punch to the face and Bora was out cold- probably wouldn't be waking up for another day or two, at least.

Lucy stared at Natsu, watching as he defeated all the other grunts as well. It was... terrifying, to say anything. He was powerful, definitely- using Magic she had never even heard of before, let alone seen... it's almost like...

"He's the Salamander of Fairy Tail... isn't he, Happy?" She looked at Natsu's feline companion, who merely chuckled.

"Dragon lungs for breathing fire, dragon scales for breathing fire... and dragon talons that are wrapped with fire- it's an ancient spell that lets his body take on qualities of dragons." Happy explained quietly, a look of pride on his face. "It was originally used for taking down dragons- Dragon Slayer Magic! Igneel taught it to him."

It only took a few moments before the fight was over- each enemy defeated, and parts of the boat bursting into flames. She twitched as Natsu turned to her with a smile, before looking around curiously, as if trying to figure something out.

"Y'know, this is the first time I've battled without destroying anything..." Happy joined in on his musings, as the sound of the Guards came through the streets of the town, alerting them to the presence. He considered the hardly destroyed streets for a moment, before looking at Lucy with a wide smile- one that made her decidedly nervous.

"Lucy, you're kinda like our lucky charm..." He grabbed her arm and started to run, ignoring her yelp of protest as guards came flooding down. "What're you waiting for?! You said you wanted to join our guild, right?" Lucy jolted as she slipped slightly on a piece of rock, but stared at him with wide eyes.

"Well? Come on!" He offered her his hand as they ran, letting Lucy breathe a moment before nodding, a determination clear in her eyes.

"Alright!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: HOOOOOOOOOOOLY SHITTAKI MUSHROOMS. Alright, hey guys, and if you made it this far- welcome! I finally got to writing the first episode of Fairy Tail Redux... good gravy, this turned out much longer then I thought it would, but... I'm glad I was able to finish this! I know it's pretty bad that I'm already mentioning my new character, but she won't be around 'till episode... er, actually, maybe even episode four at the earliest. So er, forgive me for that. But hey! If you enjoyed, leave a follow or favourite, and a review! Those are always appreciated, after all. Anywho, I hope you have a wonderful day/night, and I'll see you next episode- The Fire Dragon, The Monkey, and the Ox So, until then... Sayonara!


	2. Episode Two: The Fire Dragon, the Monkey, and the Ox!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: HELLLOOOO MY FRIENDS AND COMPANIONS! And welcome to the second episode of Fairy Tail Redux! This episode now will introduce a number of the important characters in Fairy Tail- including Mirajane, Gray, and others! However, I must point out something. Up to this point, I've kept everyone characterized as they are in the Anime... at least, I hope I did. Lucy and Natsu are mostly the same- though Lucy is a bit less... annoying? It's a strong word, but she's definitely more knowledgeable than in the series- and she will continue to grow so as well- as will Natsu. However, as I said in the summary, this story will be changed to how I see should have happened... and this includes characters. One of the main differences will be Loke- I will be changing one of his rather... important to his character traits, I guess? Well, you'll see. Don't worry, he'll still be the rude, fun flirter- you'll just have to read to see what I mean! Anywho, I hope you have fun reading today's episode! Oh, and I made Taurus different too.

**_ Episode 2: The Fire Dragon, The Monkey, and the Ox _ **

_Locations: Era, Fairy Tail Guild, Mt. Hakobe_

* * *

 

"Hmmph."

In Era, there resided the Magic Council- the Law in the magical world that gave justice to those they saw deemed fit. Many feared the Council, cruel as they are- but none dared to defy them, as they do their job- and do it well. While it isn't quite accurate to say that they hated destructive guilds...

"Interesting news, as of late."

A Magic Platform was held in the middle of a gray stone tower, holding up nine people, each having their own Magic Symbol below their feet. The blue Magic Symbol spun gently to demonstrate itself a solid structure. The one that previously spoke, an old man with an odd-looking hat crossed his arms and sighed- though not unkindly. "It seems as though Fairy Tail seemed to take down a Slavery Rig... without destroying a town for once."

There were gasps of shock that pervaded the room almost immediately, each member of the Council voicing their thoughts on the matter, though only stopped when a man with blue hair and strange marking on the right side of his face spoke. "It is quite the feat for them... I will admit that I've grown fond of their antics, however." He smirked and looked up.

The same old man nodded, arms still crossed. "Indeed. Fools, they are, but it is also quite a fact that they are a very capable lot." The geezer huffed as another member thrust his hand out angrily, eyes glaring at them all. "That doesn't mean this excuses them of all their other destructions though! We need some justice, we need-"

"Enough."

The others fell silent, turning again to the blue haired man as he spoke. "I say we let them be. Besides..."

He flicked a stray lock of hair from his face, smiling.

"The world would be rather dull, without fools like them around."

* * *

 

"Mou..."

Lucy dragged her feet across the sidewalk as she followed after Natsu, narrowing her eyes. "Natsu, how much farther until we reach the guild...?"

The boy pivoted on a foot and gave her a wide grin as he stepped back, bringing his hands up to gesture at the building behind him with reverence. "No need to ask, Lucy- 'cause we're here!"

"Wow..." Lucy breathed out, as she looked the guild up and down.

The building in front of them was incredibly tall, with what seemed to be three separate floors. A large, golden sign with blue letters clearly spelt "Fairy Tail", with the silhouette of Fairies outlining the sign quite beautifully. With red coloured roofs and green outlines... it was a rather odd building- but nothing too weird for the magical world, after all.

She stood, admiring the view- not noticing as Natsu immediately threw open the doors and breathed in.

"TADAIMAAAA!"

"Tadaima!"

Lucy chocked on her spit as they rushed in, ignoring the dust they left behind for her. The number of people inside the building was honestly... quite amazing. Many of the members greeted Natsu and Happy with a smile and wave, some exchanging a pat on the back or just a small wave from others, and was... homely. For all the smell of food and drinks, it really felt like it really was just like a home, with family and friends that stop by every once in awhile.

Lucy noticed a buck-teethed man, in particular, greet Natsu with a particularly ecstatic wave, before he flinched away from Natsu's glare. "Oi, oi! It's not my fault my information was wrong- it was just rumoured, rumoured!" He gulped when Natsu reared back his hand to punch him in the face- effectively knocking him out before he could even hit the wall behind him. With the unravelling chaos, Lucy could only observe it all in bearly veiled horror at the fight itself, opting to back up towards the drink bar as quick as she could- yelping when she crashed into someone behind her. "Oh, I'm so sorry- ah?"

She felt her eyes widen as the woman in front of her quickly was identified as Mirajane, the beautiful model that very often takes the cover of Sorcerer Weekly and other magazines. Her squeak of "M-Mirajane!" was vaguely heard over the fighting in the background, though Mirajane seemed to not notice, and a bright smile was sent her way as Mirajane offered her hand for Lucy to shake.

"Welcome to Fairy Tail! I assume you're new, right?" Mirajane's soft voice was still heard above the crowd. Lucy could only nod as she shook Mirajane's hand enthusiastically, eyes shining brightly. "Y-Yes, of course! I was wondering if I could join Fairy Tail-" The sentence was cut off, however, as a dark-haired man, possibly the same age as Natsu, released himself from the fight and shouted "Where's Natsu?! He owes me a fight for last time-!" aloud for all to hear- though unfortunately not breaking up the fight.

Her eyes twitched as the man seemed to be completely naked except for a pair of boxers, Mirajane giggling in the background. "Hehe, that's Gray Fullbuster. He has an occasional habit of stripping like that- but don't worry about it! It's mostly because he's an Ice Mage." Lucy nodded slowly and registered the information, sitting back. It would probably be awhile before she would be able to join the guild, so why not enjoy the fun? _Of course, It would be great if I knew everyone's names..._

Mirajane patted her back, shocking her from her thoughts. "Don't worry. You're worried about knowing everyone, right?"

Lucy blinked before nodding, Mirajane giving a dazzling smile before pointing at another woman with dark brown hair sitting near the wind barrels, drinking rather heavily. "That's Cana Alberona, Fairy Tail's heaviest drinker," Mirajane nodded in Cana's direction, before nodding to another incredibly tall man walking up to them. "That's Elfman, my little brother. He's... quite obsessed with being a 'real man', recently."

Lucy offered a smile as Elfman walked to Gray and Natsu, both of the latter turning to punch him out and right into a wall, Lucy stuttering as they did so. "Wha-?!"

"Although, he has a long way to go, eheh." Mirajane sweatdropped and offered Lucy another pat on the back, though stopped as she looked behind Lucy. "Ah. That's Loke, our resident flirter- and the highest ranked on 'most-desired Mage bachelor' list!"

Lucy looked behind her, just as Loke paused from his flirting with a girl beside him, aiming a nod at Mirajane, who giggled. "He's a nice guy when you get to know him, though."

The crowds of fighting seemed to only increase as more members of the guild started to join in and fight, none of them seeming to be holding back an inch. Loke tossed an irritated sigh, before sending an apologetic smile to the woman that was beside him. "Sorry love. Seems as though we've got a little cat-fight on our hands." He brushed himself off and raised his left hand, twisting at it with his right. A Magic Symbol, green in appearance, was summoned- following by many other Magic Symbols from the fighters, each raring to release their magic- when a dark figure crashed itself into the room.

"That's enough, you fools!"

A shriek strangled itself from Lucy's throat as the giant kicked many of the members to the side, all the others freezing in their tracks as they heard the voice. Mirajane walked forward and waved a hand, attempting to calm Lucy down from her screaming, and turned to the giant. "Master, you're still here?"

"M-M-M-Master?!"

"Unh."

Natsu stepped up and started to laugh. "Bwahahahaha! You're all wimps- no one can defeat m- ACK!"

The "Master" proceeded to kick Natsu into a wall, snorting angrily. He turned and looked at Lucy, who froze up in terror.

"Ah? Are you new here?"

Lucy managed to somehow nod her head in a "yes" before the Master started to walk towards her, slowly shrinking in size as he did- until an old man, barely half her height, greeted her with a smile and a wave of a hand. "Nice to meet you!"

Mirajane nodded happily. "Yep! This is our Master, Mr. Makarov. Master, this young lady would like to join Fairy Tail."

Makarov gave a smile to Lucy, who blinked at the bluntness of it all. "Ah... yes! I would definitely like to join Fairy Tail... if it's alright with you, Master?"

Makarov merely smiled at her, tilting his head. "Of course- we won't ever refuse a Mage, after all." He looked up at the papers in his hand. "Although..." His eyes went back to her, gesturing at the rather depressed Natsu. "Are you the one who helped Natsu catch those Slave Traders?"

Lucy gave this a moments thought, before nodding her head. "Yes, I guess you could say I helped him...? It was really him that did all the work though. I'm just surprised the boat didn't blow up or something..." Her hand was taken immediately by Makarov, who seemed to beam even brighter.

"Well then, thank you!"

...Eh?

"I-I'm sorry?" Lucy squeaked when Makarov merely nodded at Mirajane and jumped up to the second floor, eyes stern as he did so. "As much as I am glad Fairy Tail managed to not destroy one port town... That doesn't make up for the rest of these papers!" He flung the papers up and down in his hand. "Do you know how many complaints I've gotten today?!"

The silence that accompanied the guild seemed to only stretch at their Master's disappointment. Each member had their own look of guilt, save Natsu, who was still pouting.

"However..." The guild looked up again, just as the papers in Makarov's hands burst into flame.

"To Hell with the Council!" Makarov tossed the burning embers of paper into the air, Natsu finally perking and taking advantage of it, catching the flame in his mouth.

"Listen up!"

The stillness of the guild seemed to reassure Makarov as he continued. "Power that surpasses reason, is still borne from reason." His gaze swept across the guild. "Magic is not a miraculous power... It is only realized when the flow of energy inside us, and the flow of energy in the natural world come into perfect sync!" He gestured with his arms towards all of them, and then upwards. "Magic comes from mental strength- and focus... no. It comes from your entire soul!"

Pieces of broken tables and debris shuffled as those sitting started to stand, each with their full attention on their Master, who crossed his arms.

"Worry about the eyes watching from above, and you will make no process in the ways of magic!" A hand released itself and Makarov made a fist. "Don't let the fools on the council scare you. Follow the path you believe in!"

The path his eyes made reached Lucy, who blinked. He gave her a grin, and a thumbs up. "That's what Fairy Tail Mages do!" The thumbs uplifted into a point to the sky, signalling an end to the speech to the guild members.

All of them, even the beat up ones, rose their hands into the sky as well. Right hands, left hands, it didn't matter- all of them rose at a point. Their symbol, their honour- and the cheer came as loud as it could. It could be heard on the streets outside the guild and felt like it could have been heard by the whole world- despite truly being only distinguishable inside.

Lucy smiled.

_So this... is what it's like to be in a guild._

* * *

 

The stamp pressed down on her hand, glowing brightly until Mirajane lifted it off, displaying the Fairy Tail symbol on her right hand. Lucy admired the pink symbol and turned to Mirajane. "Thank you so much!" She stood from the stool and tapped Natsu on the shoulder. "Natsu look! I'm an official member now!" She held up her hand to show him as he turned around.

"That's great, Lucy!" He nodded happily, before turning around and looking at the Request Board with a look of concentration. "I wonder which Job we should take...?" He reached over and took one, looking it over. "Ah! Happy, look! There's one for taking out thieves, and it pays 160,000 Jewels!"

"Then it's decide-"

"Master Makarov!"

Natsu and Happy fell silent as a young boy with dark hair looked up at Makarov. "It's been a week and he still isn't back."

Makarov narrowed his eyes as he considered the young boy. "You're getting on my nerves, Romeo. If your father is a Mage, then have some faith in him!"

Romeo shook her head vehemently. "I can't! My dad said that he would be back in three days, but... it's been a week now!" He stomped his foot on the ground and gave a pleading look to Makarov, who had raised his staff in thought.

"If I remember, it was a job on Mt. Hakobe..."

"Right! And it isn't that far away, so please- find him- ah!" Romeo yelped when Makarov picked him up by the scruff of his t-shirt, huffing angrily. "Go home and drink some milk- if your dad is a Mage of Fairy Tail, then he'll be fine!" Makarov clamped his jaw shut as Romeo struggled free and ran out the guild doors, crying aloud.

The guild room remained silent. "That was... kind of harsh..." Lucy remarked, having watched the scene from afar. "It's not what it seems, Lucy. Despite the way Master acts, he really is worried for Macao..."

Only Lucy flinched when the sound of breaking wood interrupted them, drawing their attention to the now broken Request Board, and Natsu walking outside with Happy. "Oi, Natsu, don't break it!" followed it.

Lucy blinked as Natsu left, confusion apparent on her face. "But... why...?"

Mirajane cleaned a glass with a rag and sighed. "All of Fairy Tail Mages all have some issues of our own. Whether it scars, pain... or suffering."

* * *

 

"So... why are you here again?"

The wagon bucked softly as they travelled to Mt. Hakobe, Natsu clearly having difficulty sitting upright.

"Wow... you and vehicles really don't mix, do you?" Lucy tilted her head as she watched Natsu flail about the wagon, scowling at her. She fidgeted with her warmer clothing, scoffing as Natsu blinked confusedly at her.

"Why the layers?" He gestured at her jacket and pants instead of a skirt, Lucy raising an eyebrow. "Right, and I'm going to the mountains with a miniskirt and short sleeves because that's such an incredibly smart idea." She rolled her eyes. "Besides, I'm not stupid. I want to help Romeo too, you know?"

She sighed as Natsu just scoffed and kept trying to hold his barf in, clearly trying to ignore her.

The trip continued without much talk after, Lucy startling when the winds seemed to grow harsher as they travelled along. "Wow... are the mountains of Hakobe this stro- ah!" She yelped as the wagon stopped suddenly, letting Natsu jump to his feet in newly renewed fervour. "It stopped...!"

A voice from outside reached them. "Sorry! This is about as far as I can go!"

Lucy opened the flaps of the curtains and looked outside, shrieking when the cold seemed to blast right into her, causing her to shiver.

"Eep! It's utterly freezing... even with these layers...!" Her teeth chattered, rubbing against her jacket sleeves with minor effect. Natsu sent a deadpan look at her as they walked through the snow and ice, gesturing back to the path they took. "If you're so cold, go back! We're able to find Macao on our own, right Happy?"

"Aye!"

Lucy scowled at them, just as her hands brushed her keys... wait.

"That's it!" She snatched her keys in delight, Natsu sending her an increasingly annoyed look. "Hah?"

She winked his way before picking up a Silver Key with a clock symbol on it, swinging it upwards. "Open! Gate of the Clock Constellation..." She brought the key downwards and turned it, Magic Symbol shining. "Horologium!"

A whirlwind of cogs and gears rained from the portal, a cloud of smoke as background. Through it all, a massive grandfather clock came down from the portal and slammed into the ground, spouting arms and a head as it did so.

Natsu and Happy both stared at the Horologium with surprise. "A... clock?"

"Mmhm..." Lucy nodded as she went inside Horologium's base, shivering ceasing somewhat. Her mouth opened to say something, but nothing seemed to reach the surface.

"Huh?"

"She says, 'now we can go find Macao without me dying from the cold!'," Horologium repeated. Natsu tilted his head, though shrugged and kept moving forward. "She says, 'what mission did Macao go on anyway?'," Horologium followed after Natsu.

The boy sighed as he walked, looking back to answer. "You came without even knowing what he was doing? Sheesh, talk about a rookie... He came here to get rid of some Vulcans, vicious monsters that live here." He gestured at the rough snowy terrain, before trudging forward. Lucy, inside Horologium, sighed deeply.

"She says, 'I'm new to all of this, remember? Besides, like I said, I want to help Romeo,'" The clock stated for her.

Natsu jerked as a shadow fell on them of them from above. "Happy, Lucy- Careful!" He jumped from the spot as an odd creature with fur crashed into the very spot Natsu was standing, creating a cloud of ice and snow. It looked up from itself with a manic grin.

Happy backed up slightly, shouting "It's a vulcan!" While Natsu put himself in a battle stance, glaring at the beast. The vulcan sneered at Natsu before launching itself at Lucy and Horologium, grabbing the clock and by extension, the girl.

Lucy squished herself further into the base of Horologium, shivering despite there being no chill. The monster leaned in close, lifting up Horologium as it did so- before leaping up into one of the mountain's many caves, Lucy's screaming unheard.

"Oi, you- come back here! Where is Macao?!" Natsu wiped his mouth on his arm, growling. "Damnit..."

* * *

 

Lucy screeched as the monster set her down on the floor with a hungry look in its eyes, dancing about. She bit her nail, grumbling. Alright, so not many options here. Horologium's time limit is about to be up, and Natsu isn't here either... but he will be. Maybe if I can stall...? A gasp escaped her as Horologium disappeared in a flash of light, leaving her on the ice cave's floor, open to the vulcan. The cold seeped in through her pants despite their function of keeping her warm, and it wasn't long before she was shivering again- the monkey leaning in close to her.

"Damn..." She held her breath, shaking. The time limit was all based on her own magic, after all. It was only possible for a spirit to stay longer if her magic was strong enough... but for now, that experience isn't there. She scooted back from the vulcan until she had a piece of ice, trying to stall for more time, just as a yell came from out the cave.

"MONKEYYYY!"

Lucy perked and turned to where the yell came from, grinning as Natsu came running through the cave. "WHERE'S MACAO?!" He screeched to a stop in front of Lucy, snarling. "Alright, you ape, where did you hide Macao?!"

The monkey tilted its head for a moment, before seeming to nod its head in understanding. It pointed to an opening in the cave- and Natsu, predictably, went over to look. Lucy jolted at the stupid move and immediately tried to reach Natsu. "Natsu, wait-!"

"Alright, where is Maca- AIIIIHHH!"

Natsu's scream echoed down from the pit he fell through, the vulcan snickering evilly as it turned back to her, repeating "girl... girl... girl...". Her hands tightened into fists as it did so, her eyes narrowing dangerously. "Alright, fine. If you want to play that game, let's play."

She swiped a hand at her Keychain and picked up a Golden Key- this time decorated with an axe as its pin and a set of horns on its bow.

"Open, Gate of the Golden Bull!"

She aimed the key towards the sky, then striking it to the ground and twisted, hearing the ethereal lock.

"Taurus!"

The ground rumbled as it started to break, releasing a massive cow-like being on two legs and a gigantic axe on its back as it rose to full height.

"Taurus! Defeat that monkey- vulcan- thing!" Lucy pointed at the monster, directing Taurus at it. The cow grinned maliciously and saluted at her before bringing out his axe and charging towards it yelling "Anything for you, my lady!" He held up his axe and let a a light shine over it, heating it up.

"RAMPAGE!"

The axe swung downwards and crashed into the floor, breaking it up as it did so, barely missing the vulcan as it ran. Lucy tsked as it ran to attack Taurus again, Taurus also dodging and swinging his axe at the monster.

"Alright, so it's fast... that big axe isn't going to do any damage, that's for sure." Lucy sucked in a breath as the vulcan managed to get a hit at Taurus. "Taurus! Are you okay?!"

The cow Spirit gave a thumbs up before huffing angrily. His grip on the axe getting stronger- just as a flurry of flame was launched at the vulcan with a force unknown before, shocking both Lucy and Taurus. It crashed them both into the wall and left a rather big indent. When the flames subsided, all that was left was a charred vulcan and Natsu, with an irritated look on his face. "Listen here. All members of Fairy Tail are my friends and companions..." He watched carefully as the vulcan released itself from the indent in the wall, looking angrier rather than hurt. Natsu twisted himself and kicked the monster into another wall, being pushed back himself somewhat.

"From Gramps and Mira, to those idiots Gray and Elfman...!"

He looked up from his fighting stance, and magic flared from beneath him as he did so, just as the vulcan came running at him.

"Happy and Lucy are my friends too."

The Magic Symbol sprouted beneath his feet, though he ignored when the vulcan leapt above him to punch him down.

"That's why..."

Dangerous flames spouted from his hands as he raised his fist to the vulcan.

"I'm taking Macao back with me!"

His fists smashed together as another Magic Symbol appeared- leaving him smirking.

"Fire Dragon... Iron Fist!"

The force of the flaming punch bombarded the monkey and sent them both flying back towards the same wall- exploding into an even bigger mess of debris, and causing a loud blast from outside the cave as well on the mountain. As the smoke from the heat of the flames cleared, Natsu remained standing in front of the knocked out vulcan, he huffed angrily.

"And that's for knocking me out of the cave, you dumb ape!" Natsu ground his foot on the ground as Lucy thanked Taurus for his help and closed the Gate. "But... where's Maca- huh?"

Natsu and Lucy both breathed in as the vulcan seemed to crack into pieces- a bright light shining until what used to be the monster, now lay a man in its wake. Natsu's eyes dilated as he recognized the man, Lucy gasping.

"Macao...!"

Lucy flinched as she eyes the knocked out man. "This is Macao...?" Happy floated by and nodded, a serious look on the cat's face. "The vulcan must have used Take Over magic on him..."

Lucy looked up in confusion. "Take Over magic?"

Happy nodded. "Right. It's a body possession spell. Vulcans are monsters that survive by stealing people's bodies and taking them over."

All of them froze as Macao started to stir, wincing from the injuries on his body. "Ugh... what happened...?" He looked up from his place against the ice wall and gaped at the two of them.

"N-Natsu?"

Natsu grinned and gave a thumbs up, helping Macao stand to his feet. "Yup. You did a pretty great job, getting nineteen vulcans."

The blue haired man merely started to laugh, coughing slightly. "It's... embarrassing, to say the least. Nineteen of those guys and the twentieth takes me over... pathetic." He looked away ruefully, not noticing Lucy scrunch her face up in determination.

"So?"

Macao blinked and turned to the girl, confused. "...So?"

She huffed and gestured at him. "You fought nineteen of them- and won! While I couldn't defeat even one." She waved a dismissive hand, pouting. "Seems like to me you're pretty powerful." Natsu shook his head as well. "Nineteen is still pretty amazing."

Lucy watched as Natsu helped Macao fully up with a small smile. _He must be really powerful to have taken so many out... just shows how far behind I am, I guess._ Natsu and Macao started to laugh about something, and she shook her head with mirth. But that isn't so bad. _With friends like these..._

_I think every day can be a whole new adventure._

* * *

 

"Romeo!"

The call of him name jerked Romeo from his crying, and he raced down the steps to look down the street. His eyes widened as Natsu, Lucy, and... and...!

"Oi, Romeo. Strong Mages are confident about their tears, right?" Macao raised a fist and ginned, Romeo nodding his head as tears seemed to burst forward. "H... Hai, Tou-chan!"

The reunion was heart-warming, and Lucy felt her lips twitch upward in a soft smile. "Ne, Natsu..."

Natsu blinked and turned to her, a curious look on his face. "Eh?"

"Let's keep doing this."

"...Hah? You're not making any sense, Lucy..."

She shook her head and wiped her eyes of small tears that threatened to be released, and merely gave him a grin. "Let's keep helping people." She fist-bumped the air, joined in by Happy. "Aye!"

Natsu watched the two of them with a perplexed look, but finally relented and join in as well.

"Okay!"

Lucy lowered her arm as Natsu and Happy started to walk back into the guild without a care in the world.

_Yea, so this guild is pretty crazy- fights seem to break out all the time, and the members themselves? Even worse._

_But... to see people smile like this after our hard work..._

_I think it's worth it. And I think that Fairy Tail is full of life, and wonder... And as a family._

_I think it's safe to say that things are going to be looking up!_

"Oi, Lucy, are you coming?"

Natsu waved back at her with a grin, and she returned it.

"Of course!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: WOW I WROTE THIS ALL IN ONE DAY And it's because I'm anxious to get to the part where things start to change drastically huehuehue how fun :33! Anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed this episode! The next one is Infiltrate! The Everlue Mansion! So until then, Sayonara!


	3. Episode 3: Infiltrate! The Everlue Mansion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Episode 3 is here, my friends and companions! Now, let's get down to business with this A/N. First off, as Episode 3 and 4 of Fairy Tail are of the same... "job", I will be making it as such. So the entirety of the Daybreak Job will be in this episode- and Episode 4 of Fairy Tail Redux will be the second part of Episode 4 Dear Kaby, and then everything after that... well, you'll see. Basically what I'm saying is that the Episodes of Fairy Tail Redux will no longer be following the episodes of Fairy Tail, and will be structured more as one full job/story in one Episode of Fairy Tail Redux. Er, I hope that's explained well enough? If you have any questions, do put in a review! So without further ado, let's get started! OH HOLD ON- Alright, so remember when I said that the OC might pop up during episode four? Well... Seems like it's going to be sooner. She'll play a main part in this episode, and the next few after that- so please bear with me! Alright, onto the story!

**_ Episode 3: Infiltrate! The Everlue Mansion _ **

_Locations: Magnolia, Fairy Tail Guild, Shirotsume Town_

* * *

 

"For a house that's only seventy-thousand Jewels rent, it's pretty nice." Natsu's blunt comment broke Lucy out of her thoughtless musings.

It hadn't been long since they had returned from rescuing Macao. But... it never really occurred to her that it would get her such a good reputation. Not even a moments pause in the guild brought many Mages running towards them with a bright smile, either thanks or congratulations on the rescue mission- especially since there was no reward. Of course, she didn't mind- the guild became even more lively when Macao entered, bandages and all. You could probably still hear the crowds in the guild cheering even now- the party hadn't exactly stopped when she and Natsu left last night.

"I agree, but... I don't have the Jewels for it- I'm still down to only four-thousand Jewels since I haven't taken a job yet." Lucy crossed her arms in thought, flicking at her glass of water distantly. Such a nice house like that could only be open for so long, especially with the cheap price, though she simply pushed the thought aside and glanced at the request board. "Natsu, have you taken a job yet?"

The boy was staring at the request board nonchalantly before she spoke up. "Un. Actually, I was wanting to ask a favour..." He turned to her with a pleading look in his eyes, holding up a Job paper, one that showed the picture of an ugly old man that seemed to be having way too much fun twirling his nose hair. "Do you want to team up with me?"

"Team... up?"

Mirajane took this chance to pop in, eyes sparkling. "Yes, team-ups are important! Some guild members team up to tackle harder job requests- for example," she pointed at Loke and Gray, who seemed to be having an animated conversation about something. "Loke and Gray usually team up when dealing with monsters- but they also deal with stealth missions too! Loke is pretty good at blending in where Gray can't." Her hand then moved to Macao and another man with a brown pompadour. "Wakabe and Macao are best friends- they usually team up for missions, though Macao said he wanted to take the Vulcan one on his own for his own pride."

Lucy nodded slowly and digested the information. It really did make sense- you would team up with others when what you're doing is difficult, so you could make the burden easier. But that brings up the question... "Natsu, let me see that job." She swiped the job request in his hands and read it over, frowning slightly. "Shirotsume town? Woah, wait- two-hundred-thousand Jewels as a reward, just to get a book from the mansion of some guy named Duke Everlue?!" Her eyes widened as it scrolled over the rest of the paper, however. "Note... he's a dirty, perverted man currently seeking to hire a blonde maid...?" Her hands tightened on the paper as she glared straight at Natsu- who actually seemed taken aback by the note.

"Wait, what? I didn't see that when I took it..." He took the paper right back and read through it once more, wilting when it what she said seemed to be true. "Ayeh... Lucy, I promise I didn't team up with you just for that!" The pleading look in his eyes calmed her down somewhat- though she crossed her arms and huffed angrily. "Oh? And what other reason is there? You planned this from the start, didn't you?" She turned away from him, unsuspecting of the hand that caught her arm.

She turned and eyed Natsu, who had a guilty look on his face. "I didn't! I just... look." He gestured at the people sitting at the tables with drink and food, each laughing and smiling- some playfighting or just telling jokes in general. The mood was... joyful.

"Remember what you said yesterday?"

She swivelled her head to look at him with a confused face, watching as he sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "You said that you wanted to keep doing this... keep making people happy." He offered her his hand and smiled sheepishly. "I just thought that maybe you'd like some help to do that."

Lucy could almost feel herself starting to cry and immediately shook her head to clear it. That was... that was... kind of him. Besides... she figured that he was telling the truth anyway. She looked up with a smile and grabbed his hand, shaking it once. "Alright, Natsu. I get it." She sent a thumbs up his way and winked, putting her other hand on her hip. "It seems like fun! I get to practice my acting skills, hehehe."

Natsu's face lit up with a happy grin and nodded enthusiastically. "Alright! Then it's a deal, then!" They shared a beaming smile, only stopping when Makarov stomped his staff against the ground to gather their attention.

"I've just received word from the client," Makarov said quietly, watching both Lucy and Natsu exchange looks of worry.

Mirajane tilted her head and walked forward, holding a plate of pancakes. "Did he cancel the job, Master?" She blinked when he shook his head, looking up. "No, quite the opposite, actually." He gestured at the job request with an unfamiliar gleam in his eye. "They raised it to two-million Jewels."

"EHHH?!"

Those that heard their Master's words erupted into immediate turns of talk and the like, many stopping their other conversations when they heard this revelation, while Natsu and Lucy seemed to be fine just being in shock. It all calmed down, however, when Makarov spoke again, this time aimed at Natsu and Lucy specifically. "That is why I want you to take another guild member with you. There's no telling why they raised the price, and I would rather there be three of you than two." He gestured to the side as a girl, possibly Lucy's age or older, walked towards them.

She was deathly pale, with pitch black hair that lay limply straight and reached her middle back area and a sullen look on her face. It was almost like a smile had never graced her face before, and her whole attire just screamed monotone. The dark gray hoodie and black leggings, with black boots as well. She looked up at them with a greeting nod and resumed to staring blankly at nothing.

Lucy gulped as she stared at the stranger, an intense feeling of despair reeking from the girl. "Master, who...?" She waved a hand in the bleak girl's direction, grimacing when Natsu went closer to her and started poking her. "Natsu!"

Makarov nodded his head carefully, sighing. "She's a new member that joined a few days ago, and doesn't have much experience yet." He watched as Natsu huffed angrily.

"Gramps, we don't need another member- me and Lucy can handle it just fine!" He bit out, crossing his arms in a huff. though pausing when the girl looked up at him with an odd look.

Makarov sent a deadpan look at the pink-haired boy. "Maybe that's true, Natsu, but the point is that she also requested to join you on this mission." He used his staff to push the girl closer to Lucy and Natsu, the latter two complaining minorly. "Now git, you three! I can't have you loitering in front of the bar all day!" There were rushed voices of confirmation as each of the three members exited the guild in a hurry.

"Master..."

Makarov looked sideways at Mirajane, who had a slightly worried look on her face as she watched the trio leave. "Do you think...?" She paused when he nodded his head contemplatively.

"Aye. I do."

* * *

 

The wagon slowly made its way to their destination, Shirotsume town, with Natsu's groaning and gagging the whole way through rather annoying.

"Do you... have motion... sickness...?" The depressed aura around the girl seemed to strengthen the more Natsu got sicker on the ride, and Lucy scooted away in apprehension.

"Well, he has vehicle sickness." She remarked, looking at the girl. "By the way, what's your name?"

The girl looked away for a moment, seeming to consider something, before turning her eyes to Lucy, the black curtain of hair hiding part of her face. "I am called... Coris." She moved the dark curtain away from her sullen face and looked out the window of the wagon, not bothering to watch Lucy's reaction.

Granted, it wasn't much- just a confused look and a shrug.

"Oof, we're here!" The wagon abruptly came to a stop, knocking all three riders off the seats and causing Natsu to burst up with a grin. "Finally!"

When the exited the wagon, the quaint feel of the town was obvious. People walked by, talking amiably, while kids played games under the watchful eyes of their parents. The skies were bright blue, mountains clearly visible from here... and the trees rustled from the low winds. It really was a beautiful town.

"I'm starving- let's get something to eat!" Natsu and Happy both cheered at that thought, Lucy sighing and shaking her head.

"Why don't you two go on ahead? I have to do some shopping- Coris, do you want to come?" Lucy extended the invitation to the sullen girl, who looked up at her in surprise, before nodding slowly. She smiled at that, and bid the boys goodbye and heading straight for a nearby clothing store.

"Alright, so I need to find a maid uniform..." She sifted through the pieces of clothing, frowning as nothing of the sort was found. _Yeesh, I should have figured that. Why would they have a section of maid uniforms anywa-_

"...Lucy-chan. I believe I have found their section of maid clothing units."

Lucy spun around surprise, jaw-dropping as the entire left half side of the store was filled to the brim with various styles of maid uniforms, Coris holding up a generic one with that same sullen look. She started to laugh despite it all, waving off Coris' confusion with a wave of her arm. "I can't believe I didn't notice that... Honestly." She shook her head in dismay and sent a grin at Coris, who blinked. "Well then. Let's try on some uniforms!"

* * *

 

It had been perhaps, possibly thirty minutes since they came to the clothing store before they exited with Lucy wearing the original generic uniform Coris had held up for her. She tried to start conversations with Coris about things- such as her magic, her favourite clothing style, music, etc... but nothing seemed to get the girl to open up fully, answering with one to two-word answers, such as "holder-type" and "none". They continued their walk in silence until Lucy sighed dramatically and turned fully to Coris.

"Coris... do you not like us?" The question was blunt and to the point, Lucy staring at Coris the entire time. The girl in question froze and fidgeted a bit, her gaze pointed downwards.

"...No, Lucy-chan. I do not dislike you." Her voice was soft and barely admissible, making Lucy sigh even deeper. Lucy took Coris' hand and tilted her head up, smiling gently at the girl.

"Okay, so that means you at least like us. Coris... I don't know why you wanted to join us for this mission to destroy a book, but..." She gestured to the restaurant where Happy and Natsu were eating presumably. "We're a team, okay? And that means we're friends." She took up Coris' other hand and squeezed them to show that she meant her words, and smiled when Coris' eyes seemed to widen.

"...Friends...?"

Lucy opened her mouth to confirm this but was cut off by Natsu and Happy barging out the restaurant doors grumbling angrily. "Yo Lucy, Coris, where have you been?! We finished eating a long time ago!" He broke off as Lucy crossed her arms and stuck out her tongue, pouting just as much as he was. "So? Coris and I were having fun shopping for clothes! I didn't just have a maid uniform on hand, you know!"

Their faces pushed together in anger, each arguing their case- when a gentle giggle came from next to them, getting louder as they continued their argument until it became a full-blown laughter, Coris clutching at her stomach as she bent over. Lucy and Natsu shifted apart as they watched her in confusion- though Lucy began to smile brightly as tears came to Coris' eyes.

Natsu just seemed to gape in awe at the depressed girl who never seemed to smile now laughing like she did it every day, Happy landing on his shoulder, as Coris' laughter finally seemed to fade, her wiping away the wetness on her face with a stretched smile.

"I'm... sorry, Lucy-chan, Natsu-kun..." She turned to them- the sullen look back, but much lighter and the tips of her lips twitching upwards as she spoke. "It has been... a very long time since I have been able to laugh."

Lucy shook her head and offered Coris her hand. "It's alright. All of us have hard times laughing and smiling sometimes... but friends help us get through it." She grinned even brighter as Coris took her hand and stood up straighter, not the originally defined slouch she had before.

"So, let's go see our client!"

"Aye!"

* * *

 

The house of their client was large, practically a mansion- the blue roofs slanted in exquisite style as they entered the door and sat in the living room, greeted by an older, possibly middle-aged man with gray hair, and an older woman with brown hair. The trio sat down on the couch across of them, each waiting expectantly.

"Welcome, you all. I am Kaby Melon, the client of the job you took." The older man nodded and crossed his fingers. "Let's get down to business, then."

Lucy narrowed her eyes slightly as she leaned forward. _Kaby Melon... where have I heard that name before...?_

"I would like you to destroy or burn a book in Duke Everlue's mansion by the name of Daybreak."

"Burn, huh? We can burn down his whole mansion too- if that's what you want!" Natsu lit a finger of his on fire, ignoring Lucy's shriek of "no" and Coris' head droop.

"It'd be a cinch!" Happy added on.

"No- We'd go straight to jail if you did that!" Lucy hissed lowly, before turning to Kaby with a deep frown on her face. "Why do you want to burn it...?"

"I must destroy that book. I cannot allow it to exist..." Kaby's hands gripped into fists as he spoke, Lucy turning to Coris in confusion. Neither of them noticed Natsu's body beginning to blaze.

"Yosh...! Looks like we've got a pretty easy mission for an easy task..." He grinned ferally, before grabbing Lucy and Coris- Happy flying not far behind. "Let's go!"

"W-Wait-!"

The door slammed open as they ran towards the large mansion in the distance, leaving the home of Kaby in the dust. Natsu only stopped when they were near the mansion itself, screeching to a halt, causing Lucy and Coris to fly forward with the force.

"Oi oi, Natsu...! Could you warn us before you do that?!" The blonde groaned as she patted dust from her maid uniform and looked up at the incredible mansion and its door. Taking in deep breaths, she knocked on the iron gates as Natsu, Happy, and Coris hid behind the bushes, waiting for someone to answer.

"I'm here for the maid position...! Is anyone home?" She called out, not noticing the breaking ground from behind her until it broke open with a loud bang. Lucy shrieked as a large woman jumped out and landed in front of her, looking not unlike a large gorilla or some type of ape.

"Applying for the maid position...?" The large woman asked, Lucy stuttering out a "yes" before the lady yelling outwards, "Master! We have an application for the maid position!"

Not long after her yell, the ground to the left of Lucy broke as well- this time revealing a short, stout man yelling "boyoyo" and twirling his nose hair- almost exactly like the picture posted on the job request.

"You called me? Hmm... let's see here..." The man looked at Lucy with a keen eye, as if probing her mentally for any faults or misclicks that might pop out.

"It's... wonderful to meet you!" Lucy's cheeks twitched as he looked her over once more, the fake smile on her face starting to tire her out much faster then she thought it would. _It's... for the job, Lucy- don't falter don't falter don't falter don't-_

"...No thanks. Get lost, ugly." The Duke turned over his left shoulder and waved a dismissive hand, Lucy's jaw dropping as he did so. _Wait... what?!_

"You heard him. Get out of here, ugly." The large maid grabbed Lucy by the waist of her outfit and held her up, as the Duke turned around with an ugly grin. "Listen here. Elite men like me can only be surrounded by beautiful girls!" The pavement around him erupted in more debris, four more women with distorted facial features posed in maid uniforms around him. Lucy could only gape in horror as the large woman tossed her out into the forest- right by where Coris, Natsu, and Happy were hiding.

Lucy sat up and groaned, eye twitching angrily as the whole staff and the Duke himself re-entered the mansion. "That... big... urgh!" Lucy slammed her fist into the ground, flames flickering in her gaze. Coris and Natsu looked at each other and sighed before Coris helped Lucy stand up. "Don't be too sad, Lucy-chan. You really are beautiful." Coris remarked, patting Lucy on the back. The blonde sighed and nodded, thankful.

"All right then... Looks like it's time for Plan T then!"

"Plan... T?"

Happy snickered as Natsu started to stomp towards the palace by himself. "He means the plan- 'Take by Storm'."

"...What type of plan is that?!"

* * *

 

"...Tch... When I said Plan T, I meant to break down the doors and go fight everyone..." Natsu used his magic to melt a glass pane, grumbling about it all- as Happy dropped off Lucy and Coris on the roof of the mansion as well. "Not sneak around, why can't we just charge in?"

They slipped through the glass and entered inside, Coris following behind them silently as they spoke. "What is this... a storeroom?" Lucy looked around the area that had various weapons and armours, along with vases and scrolls. They exited the room into what seemed to be the main foyer, Coris stopping at a room behind them.

"Ne, Natsu-kun, Lucy-chan..." She pointed at the room that was specifically labelled 'Library', catching Natsu and Lucy's attention.

"Ah, you found it, Coris! That's good- the book is probably in there!" Lucy grinned and opened the door- only to be greeted by millions of books one on top of the other. "Oh no..."

"Lucy!"

She jumped as Natsu called out from behind her, whirling and spotting the large maid leaning menacingly over Natsu. "Go look for the book, Lucy, Coris! I'll handle her!" He yelped when the maid leapt into the air, yelling "Flying Virgo Attack!" and crashing on him.

"Lucy-chan, we must find the book-" Coris dragged Lucy to the library and inside, barely hearing Natsu growling and another crash. Lucy halted as Natsu came in with an irritated look, hand on his back. "Yeesh, talk about heavy maids... now let's get looking."

Coris nodded and started to sift through books in the library, Natsu and Happy yelling about fish encyclopedias and cookbooks. Lucy sweatdropped and hit Natsu upside the head. "Can't you take this search seriously?!"

"I am! I'm just finding these awesome books about food-"

"And you're always about food..."

"And you're always so serious too, Lucy! Why don't you lighten up a bit?"

"...Lucy-chan."

"What?! Me? You're the one being too childish to even search for a book that's worth two-million Jewels!"

"...Natsu-kun?"

"Hey, I said before- I am looking! It's not my fault that we're not finding it-"

"MINNA!"

Natsu and Lucy paused in their squabbling to see a red-faced Coris panting, before readjusting herself to raise a golden book in the air. "This is... Daybreak... isn't it?"

The silence that reigned over them was deafening. The duo that fought rubbed the back of their heads sheepishly before nodding- excitement taking over.

"I can't believe we found it!" Lucy squealed happily, before pausing as she noticed something on the cover. "Wait... Kemu Zaleon...?" Coris handed the book to Lucy, who held it with reverence. "He's a wizard who writes novels- I never knew he wrote another book...!" She grinned happily and held it up, while Natsu sighed and lit his fist on fire.

"So? What are we waiting for? Let's burn the book already!"

"What?! No! You can't! It's a piece of history!"

Coris narrowed her eyes as the two began to fight once more, but gasped as the floor beneath them rumbled- and Everlue jumped out, shocking all of them.

"You lowlifes were after Daybreak, huh?!" He landed and snickered darkly, Natsu casting an irritated glance at Lucy. "See? You just had to dawdle, didn't you?"

Lucy grimaced and wilted slightly, embarrassed. "Sorry..."

"Heh. I wondered what you wizards were so eagerly looking for... but I never imagined it was that crummy book!" He gestured at the golden book in Lucy's arms. Lucy gripped the book in her hands tighter and frowned. _Kaby was willing to pay two-million just to see this book destroyed... and even this guy is calling it "crummy"...? Just what is going on here?_

"Tch, Either way, it won't belong to you when we burn it."

"N-No, wait!" Her eyes widened as Natsu whirled on her with a fierce look on his face. "Lucy, this is a job!"

Coris gently laid a hand on Natsu's shoulder, a dark look aimed at Everlue. "Natsu..."

Just as she said his name, Everlue swung his hands and bunched up. "I've had enough! I'll teach you to mess with me and my books...!" He thrust his hands into the air, calling out "Vanish Brothers!" as he did so.

One of the bookcases to the side opened immediately, revealing two men behind it, each looking rather fierce. "Good evening."

The taller one with an orange bandanna sneered at the four of them, smirking. "These are Fairy Tail wizards? Mum would be shocked."

Happy immediately pointed at the emblem on their clothing, which slightly resembled a skull. "That emblem! They're part of the Southern Wolves mercenary guild!"

Nastu punched his palm in preparation. "So you hired these guys, huh?"

"Boyoyoyo! The Southern Wolves are always hungry...! Prepare yourselves!" Everlue snickered evilly while twisting his nose hair, while Coris tugged at Lucy, whispering in her ear. "Lucy-chan... that book isn't what it seems!" Lucy jerked and looked at Coris with wide eyes, watching as the girl nodded. "...Okay."

Lucy stood and looked pointedly at Natsu, gripping the book tightly. "Natsu- I need you to buy me some time, okay? Coris says that there's an enchantment, or spell on the book..." Natsu nodded, not looking at her.

"Alright."

Coris grabbed Lucy's arm and went to a white door to the side of the room, disappearing down it. The steps led to what seemed to be a sewer, and Lucy leaned against a wall and brought out a pair of glasses. Coris turned to her with a confused look. "Are those...?"

Lucy nodded as she opened the book and started to read, letters and words flying through them through a magic symbol. "Yea, I always carry a pair of Wind Reading glasses with me- it definitely helps when it comes to books." She paused as the words came pouring in, eyes widening. "But this is...!"

"Lucy-chan, watch out!"

She jolted as a pair of hands came out of the stone wall and snatched at her arms, Coris barely catching the book as it fell. Lucy winced as the grip on her arms became tighter, Everlue peeking from the hole he made in the wall and glaring at Coris. "What secret did you find?! What was in the book that I couldn't see?!"

"You're the enemy of literature, you creep!"

Coris backed away with the book, slouch highly defined now. Lucy struggled against Everlue in an attempt to get free. "Me, the enemy of literature?!" Everlue tightened his grip on Lucy and pulled her back. "How dare you say that to someone as prestigious and cultured as me!"

"Yes, someone who hires creepy maids is really- agh, cultured!"

Everlue pushed forward against Lucy and sent a vicious glare at Coris, who flinched. "Show me the book- and maybe I'll let your friend go!" He snickered evilly- just as Happy came flying in and knocking Everlue's hands off of Lucy's.

"Ah- Happy!"

The cat grinned and landed next to Coris, who sighed in relief. "Thank goodness..." She gave the book to the cat, who blinked and held it. She helped Lucy to her feet and glared at Everlue, before blinking when Lucy held up a key- with a crab-shaped pin. "You're... a Celestial Mage...?"

Lucy tilted her head at Coris, frowning. "You didn't know?"

Everlue snarled lowly and raised a hand. "Celestial Magic, hmm? Well, that won't help you with my Diver Magic!" He sunk into the floor once more, popping out from behind them in almost an instant.

"Ah!" Lucy screeched as she dodged an attack from Everlue, catching the book Happy had dropped from jumped out of the way as well. This lasted for a few seconds before Coris kicked Everlue in the face and launched him back, puffing.

"It's Zelaon's fault for refusing to write me as the main character book!" Everlue continued, standing up from his kick to the side. "I threatened to retract his Family's Citizenship- and he wrote it for me!"

Happy's tail straightened in shock. "They wouldn't be able to join any merchants or craftsmen guilds then! You have the power to do that?!" Happy hissed, as Everlue again disappeared into the floor, Coris, Lucy, and Happy pressing their backs together in separate directions. "You locked him in a cell for three years! And his pride of a writer... and his family were at stake!" She flinched as Everlue attacked them once more, Coris aiming another kick his direction, just barely missing.

"And how could you possibly know that?!" Everlue landed in front of them, fists tightened. Lucy smirked as she held up the book, Coris blinking as well.

"You forget that Kemu Zelaon was a Mage as well! He put a spell on the book, so his true words would be hidden!" She stated fiercely, watching as Everlue started to sweat.

"So breaking that spell will make his words of hatred for me appear?! U-Unforgivable!"

"You have poor imagination, Everlue! Yes, he wrote about everything that happened-" She dodged another attack from him, with the help of Coris. Her eyes widened as realization appeared on Coris' face as well.

"You mean..."

Lucy nodded. "Yea."

Coris turned to Everlue, her sullen features having a firm glare aimed at him. "Those weren't the words he wished to leave behind. The real secret is something else." Coris confirmed.

Everlue's face went through a myriad of emotions, each decidedly uglier than the last.

"Open...! Gate of the Giant Crab!

Lucy brought out her Golden Key once more and lifted it to the sky- swiping it left to right and twisting to hear the ethereal unlocking sound.

"Cancer!"

A beam of light sprouted from the Magic Symbol, releasing a pair of crab-designed scissors, and a man with six crab legs appeared, snatching the scissors. He wore a blue shirt and black pants, plus green sunglasses.

Coris' eyes widened as she regarded the crab-like man, while he turned to look at Lucy. "Lucy... What hairstyle will it be today...?"

Lucy facepalmed herself before pointing at Everlue. "This is a fight, Cancer- do me a favour and beat up the old man!" She grinned. Cancer nodded in affirmation.

Everlue flinched before bringing out his own Golden Key- this time designed like the frills of a maid's uniform. "Open, Gate of the Maiden- Virgo!"

"W-What?!" Lucy's mouth dropped as Happy called out from beside her, "that's the same magic you use, Lucy!"

The gate opened, bringing along the large maid from before, bursting from the ground. "You called, Master?"

Everlue smirked and pointed at the book in Lucy's hands. "Virgo, get the book!"

"N-No way, she's a Celestial Spirit?!" Lucy choked as she noticed another figure hanging on to the back of Virgo. "N-Natsu?!"

"Natsu-kun?"

Lucy blanched at Natsu, shock evident on her features. "How did you get here?!"

"Whaddya mean 'how did I get here'?! She started to leave so I grabbed onto her and followed her- but then somehow we got here!" Natsu started flailing as Virgo started to try and grab him, attempting to shake him off. Coris' eyes widened, however, and she looked pointedly at Lucy, who seemed to be having an existential crisis. "You... grabbed onto her and followed her...?" _Wait... He couldn't have travelled through the Celestial Plane to here... Could he?!_

"Lucy, what do I do?!"

Lucy jerked from her thoughts and turned to Natsu, determination on her face. "Defeat Virgo!" She instructed, just as Everlue shouted "Get the book!" at Virgo. Natsu nodded, fists alighting as he jumped off to face Virgo. The Magic Symbol appeared under him as Virgo charged, causing him to grin. "This'll blow you away!"

He breathed in a huge breath, placing both hands in front of his mouth and blew, flames spewing from it and knocking Virgo away- while Coris brought out what seemed to be a crown of some sort, that started spinning on its own. It was coloured dark gray with black jewels and seemed to be broken in some parts.

Lucy's eyes widened as Coris' shout of "Darkness Crown Blast!" echoed, the crown erupting a black beam from the base where its opening was, hitting Everlue directly in the stomach- and leaving her an opening. "Lucy-chan, now!"

Lucy filed away the darkness of the attack for later and grabbed her whip from her belt- snatching Everlue in a grip where he couldn't escape. "Urgh...! No more diving for you...!" She strengthened her grip on the whip and tossed Everlue into the sky- Cancer taking that advantage to slice down on the Duke, ridding him of all the hair on his head- and his nose hairs.

Coris gave a weak high-five to Natsu, who snickered. "Well, that's that! Time to go bring back the book to Kaby." He tilted his head at Lucy, as she nodded. "Right."

* * *

 

When they had arrived at the mansion, Kaby had immediately stood up in horror as they showed him the book, shaking. "What is the meaning of this?! I thought I asked you to destroy the book-!"

"We can't."

He stopped abruptly when Lucy spoke, her eyes wandering to the book in his hands. "We know who you are, Kaby... You're Kemu Zelaon's son, right?" She glanced up at him, gesturing at the golden text.

"How did you...?"

"The book told me." She sat down on the couch, Natsu and Coris watching from behind her. "Your father... you want to preserve his pride." She flinched when Natsu briskly moved forward, only to be stopped by Coris. Kaby gripped the book harder as he reminisced, looking away. "My father... he was ashamed of writing Daybreak. He cut off his arm so he could never write again."

Their eyes widened as Kaby continued, speaking as if they were no longer there. "He went to the hospital, and I left. Telling him that he was a disgrace... that he wasn't worth it. I hated him- even after his death... but, as the years passed, my hatred turned to regret." He wiped the book's cover. "I wanted to somehow say... that I was sorry. And I knew the only way to do that was to destroy the book that took his life." He lit a match and held it to the books cover when it was almost immediately burned out.

"W-what...?!" A Magic Symbol spurned from the book, a beautiful violet as the words and book lifted itself from his arms and began to glow brightly.

"Kemu Zelaon... No, his real name- Zekua Melon, placed a spell on this book." Lucy stepped forward and watched as the book started to open itself- letters and words flying out in each way, coming back together as new, different words with different meanings- the title saying "Dear Kaby".

"He used a spell to leave a message for you. The reason he quit writing might not have been because he not only wrote his worst book ever... but because it was also his greatest book of all- a letter to you."

As the letters and words rearranged themselves finally- it stopped glowing and landed gently into Kaby's hands as he collapsed, holding onto the book, tears streaking down his face. "Tou-san... thank you. Now I know why..."

Natsu grinned, turning away and towards the door. "Well, looks like we can't get the reward now!" He remarked, Lucy, jerking and turning to him in shock. "What?!"

"Our job was to destroy the book- and we didn't do that."

"N-No, I wouldn't feel right-!"

Lucy paused once more to look at the tears of happiness on Kaby's face, and relented, smiling. "Well... I guess you're right, Natsu." She sighed, turning away and following after him. "I think... that smile is enough."

Happy shouted an "aye!" and followed after them, leaving only Coris to shake her head in dismay and follow as well- only to be stopped by Kaby.

"Miss..."

She turned, black curtain of hair billowing out as she did so, and tilted her head. Kaby smiled and handed her a bag, shaking his head slightly. "Please do take this, at least. I... would feel terrible for not giving something to the people that helped me so much."

Coris felt her lips twitch upward at his genuine statement, and nodded, before walking out the door with after Natsu and Lucy, leaving the couple to finally be at peace.

* * *

"So they gave you this before they left?" Lucy picked at the two-hundred Jewels in her hand, the original reward for the job. Natsu was quietly grumbling about the whole thing, while Coris smiled gently- something that was becoming a more natural thing for her, thankfully. "Hai, Lucy-chan. I felt they wouldn't let me leave until I took it."

Lucy nodded along at this, breathing a sigh. At least I can finally pay for that house... Whoo boy.

They huddled around a campfire, Natsu and Happy dozing off finally.

"Ne, Coris..." Lucy turned to the bleak girl, who was staring at the stars with a wistful look. "You know that we're friends, right?"

Coris blinked and turned to Lucy, before looking away. "...Hai." That brought a smile to Lucy's face. She gestured at their little camp, and then to the direction they would be going in the morning- presumably to the guild. "Good, then. Because I hope you know that you're a part of our team now, Coris- and I'm going to be stuck to you like glue when we're in the guild!" She grinned and side-hugged the girl- not noticing as Coris' seemed to wilt a little at the statement.

"...Okay."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: AAAAAND DONE! Wow, each chapter is getting longer, isn't it? Whooboy! Well anyways, I hope you enjoyed reading- and get ready for our first big real arc with everyone- Episode 4- The Wizard in Armour! So until then, Sayonara!


End file.
